Receiving Device, Electronic Device and System Having the Same

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application Number 10-2024-0160455, filed on Nov. 12, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a receiving device, an electronic device including the receiving device, and a system including the receiving device.

A main link may be provided between a source device for generating an image signal and a sink device for realizing an image from the image signal of the source device. The image signal may be transmitted via the main link. Further, an auxiliary channel may be provided between the source device and the sink device. Auxiliary data, such as configuration information of the source device or the sink device, may be transmitted via the auxiliary channel.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute prior art.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to a receiving device capable of optimally setting a gain value of an equalizer in response to temperature variations, an electronic device including the receiving device, and a system including the receiving device.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a receiving device includes: an equalizer configured to receive a data signal from a transmitting device over a channel, and apply a gain value to a frequency range component of the data signal; and a control unit configured to determine the gain value based on temperature information, and generate a gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value.

In an embodiment, the receiving device may further include a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature, and generate the temperature information.

In an embodiment, the control unit may include: a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature, and generate the temperature information; a lookup table storage configured to store a gain lookup table including a plurality of gain values corresponding to different temperatures; and a gain determiner configured to generate the gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value corresponding to the temperature information with reference to the gain lookup table.

In an embodiment, the gain lookup table may include the plurality of gain values corresponding to different temperature ranges, and the gain determiner may be configured to control the equalizer to apply the gain value corresponding to a temperature range including a temperature indicated by the temperature information.

In an embodiment, the channel may include a plurality of lanes, the gain lookup table may include a plurality of gain values corresponding to different temperature ranges for each of the plurality of lanes, and the gain determiner may be configured to generate the gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain values corresponding to a temperature range including a temperature indicated by the temperature information with respect to each of the plurality of lanes.

In an embodiment, the gain lookup table may include a plurality of gain values corresponding to different reference temperatures, respectively, and the gain determiner may be configured to calculate a gain value corresponding to a temperature indicated by the temperature information by interpolating the plurality of gain values corresponding to the different reference temperatures, respectively, and generate the gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value.

In an embodiment, the gain determiner may be configured to calculate the gain value using a linear interpolation.

In an embodiment, the channel may include a plurality of lanes, the gain lookup table may include a plurality of gain values corresponding to different reference temperatures, respectively, with respect to each of the plurality of lanes, and the gain determiner may be configured to calculate the gain values corresponding to a temperature indicated by the temperature information by interpolating the plurality of gain values corresponding to the different reference temperatures with respect to each of the plurality of lanes, and generate the gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain values corresponding to the temperature to each of the plurality of lanes.

In an embodiment, the receiving device may be configured to receive the temperature information from the transmitting device through an auxiliary channel.

In an embodiment, the control unit may include: a lookup table storage configured to store a gain lookup table including a plurality of gain values corresponding to different temperatures; and a gain determiner configured to generate the gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value corresponding to the temperature information with reference to the gain lookup table.

In an embodiment, the control unit may be configured to determine the gain value based on the temperature information after the receiving device is connected to the transmitting device over the channel.

In an embodiment, the receiving device may further include a monitoring unit configured to monitor whether or not a symbol error occurs in data, and the control unit may be configured to determine the gain value based on the temperature information after the symbol error occurs.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a system includes: a transmitting device configured to output a data signal to a channel comprising a plurality of lanes; and a receiving device configured to receive the data signal from the channel. The receiving device includes: an equalizer configured to apply a gain value to a frequency range component of the data signal; and a control unit configured to determine the gain value based on temperature information, and generate a gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value.

In an embodiment, the control unit may include: a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature, and generate the temperature information; a lookup table storage configured to store a gain lookup table including a plurality of gain values corresponding to different temperatures; and a gain determiner configured to generate the gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value corresponding to the temperature information with reference to the gain lookup table.

In an embodiment, the transmitting device may further include a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature, and generate the temperature information.

In an embodiment, the system may further include an auxiliary channel connected between the receiving device and the transmitting device, and configured to transmit the temperature information to the receiving device.

In an embodiment, the control unit may include: a lookup table storage configured to store a gain lookup table including a plurality of gain values corresponding to different temperatures; and a gain determiner configured to generate the gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value corresponding to the temperature information with reference to the gain lookup table.

In an embodiment, the control unit may be configured to determine the gain value based on the temperature information after the receiving device is connected to the transmitting device over the channel.

In an embodiment, the receiving device may further include a monitoring unit configured to monitor whether or not a symbol error occurs in data, and the control unit may be configured to determine the gain value based on the temperature information after the symbol error occurs.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes: a processor; a receiving device configured to receive image data; and an electronic device including a display device including pixels, and configured to display an image on the pixels based on the image data in response to a control of the processor. The receiving device includes: an equalizer configured to receive a data signal from a transmitting device over a channel, and apply a gain value to a frequency range component of the data signal; and a control unit configured to determine the gain value based on temperature information, and generate a gain control signal for controlling the equalizer to apply the gain value.

However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above aspects and features, and the above and additional aspects and features will be set forth, in part, in the detailed description that follows with reference to the drawings, and in part, may be apparent therefrom, or may be learned by practicing one or more of the presented embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout. The present disclosure, however, may be embodied in various different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to only the illustrated embodiments herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the aspects and features of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, processes, elements, and techniques that are not necessary to those having ordinary skill in the art for a complete understanding of the aspects and features of the present disclosure may not be described. Unless otherwise noted, like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the attached drawings and the written description, and thus, redundant description thereof may not be repeated.

When a certain embodiment may be implemented differently, a specific process order may be different from the described order. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed at the same or substantially at the same time, or may be performed in an order opposite to the described order.

Further, as would be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art, in view of the present disclosure in its entirety, each suitable feature of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined or combined with each other, partially or entirely, and may be technically interlocked and operated in various suitable ways, and each embodiment may be implemented independently of each other or in conjunction with each other in any suitable manner, unless otherwise stated or implied.

In the drawings, the relative sizes, thicknesses, and ratios of elements, layers, and regions may be exaggerated and/or simplified for clarity. Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “under,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of explanation to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or in operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” or “under” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example terms “below” and “under” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

Further, it should be expected that the shapes shown in the figures may vary in practice depending, for example, on tolerances and/or manufacturing techniques. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the specific shapes shown in the figures, and should be construed considering changes in shapes that may occur, for example, as a result of manufacturing. As such, the shapes shown in the drawings may not depict the actual shapes of areas of the device, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In the figures, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis are not limited to three axes of the rectangular coordinate system, and may be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis may be perpendicular to or substantially perpendicular to one another, or may represent different directions from each other that are not perpendicular to one another.

It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section described below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may be present. Similarly, when a layer, an area, or an element is referred to as being “electrically connected” to another layer, area, or element, it may be directly electrically connected to the other layer, area, or element, and/or may be indirectly electrically connected with one or more intervening layers, areas, or elements therebetween. In addition, it will also be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “between” two elements or layers, it can be the only element or layer between the two elements or layers, or one or more intervening elements or layers may also be present.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “an” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “have,” and “having,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. For example, the expression “A and/or B” denotes A, B, or A and B. Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. For example, the expression “at least one of a, b, or c,” “at least one of a, b, and c,” and “at least one selected from the group consisting of a, b, and c” indicates only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof.

As used herein, the term “substantially,” “about,” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the present disclosure refers to “one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.” As used herein, the terms “use,” “using,” and “used” may be considered synonymous with the terms “utilize,” “utilizing,” and “utilized,” respectively.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or the present specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

1 FIG. 100 200 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a link that mediates a signal transmission between a display sourceand a display sink.

1 FIG. 100 200 Referring to, a display port system may include the display sourceand the display sink, which are connected to each other via an optical link to transmit and receive main and auxiliary data with each other.

100 100 The display sourcemay include any suitable kind of device that generates and transmits a signal. For example, the display sourcemay be provided as a variety of suitable electronic devices, such as a television, a computer, a DVD player, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a PDA, a notebook PC, a tablet PC, an e-book, an electronic picture frame, a kiosk, a Blu-ray disc, a set-top box, and the like.

200 100 200 The display sinkmay include any suitable kinds of devices that receive a signal from the display source, and play the signal back. For example, the display sinkmay be provided as a variety of suitable electronic devices having a display, such as a TV, a computer, a DVD player, a cell phone, a smartphone, a PDA, a notebook PC, a tablet PC, an e-book, an electronic picture frame, a kiosk, and the like.

100 200 100 Data may be transmitted over a channel connected between the display sourceand the display sink. The channel may include a plurality of lanes Lane0 to Lane3, and may be referred to as a main link. Video signals (or image signals) and audio signals may be transmitted over the channel, for example, over the main link. In addition, control signals, such as horizontal synchronization signals and vertical synchronization signals, may also be transmitted over the channel. As an example, the display sourcemay process video signals (or image signals) and audio signals into packets, and may distribute the packets to the main lanes Lane0 to Lane3, which constitute the channel.

100 200 100 100 100 200 100 200 An auxiliary (AUX) channel may be connected between the display sourceand the display sinkfor transmission of auxiliary data for setting up or managing the channel. The display sourcemay output auxiliary data of a single ended signal, which is input from a graphics control unit (e.g., a graphics controller) or another control configuration (e.g., another controller) other than the graphics control unit, as a differential signal. In addition, the display sourcemay receive as the auxiliary data, a differential signal transmitted via the AUX channel. In other words, unlike the channel, the AUX channel may transmit auxiliary data in both directions between the display sourceand the display sink, so that the display sourceand the display sinkconnected to the AUX channel may each function as a transmitting side or a receiving side. For example, the auxiliary channel may transmit auxiliary data in both directions in a half duplex manner. In an embodiment, the AUX channel may communicate using a differential signal rather than an Inter Integrated Circuit (I2C) method.

100 200 100 200 100 200 The channel including the lanes Lane0 to Lane3 may transmit data unidirectionally between the display sourceand the display sink. In other words, the channel may transmit data unidirectionally from the display sourcetoward the display sink. Accordingly, the display sourceand the display sinkconnected to the channel may function as a transmitting side and a receiving side, respectively.

100 200 100 200 In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display sourceand the display sinkconnected to the AUX channel may have the same or substantially the same (or similar) configurations as each other, because the display sourceand the display sinkmay each function as a transmitting side to transmit auxiliary data and a receiving side to receive auxiliary data.

In some embodiments, the display port system may further include a hot plug detection (HPD) line to support a hot plug functionality, in addition to the channel (e.g., the lanes Lane0 to Lane3) and the AUX channel.

100 200 As used herein, the display sourcemay be referred to as a transmitting device, and the display sinkmay be referred to as a receiving device. In other words, in addition to the display port system that transmits image signals (e.g., picture signals) and audio signals (e.g., sound signals), some embodiments of the present disclosure may be applicable to a port system that transmits and receives various other data signals.

2 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 100 200 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the display sourceand the display sinkas shown in. In, the auxiliary channel (AUX channel) is omitted for convenience of illustration.

2 FIG. 100 110 120 130 140 Referring to, the display sourcemay include a serializer, a pre-emphasis circuit, an output driver, and a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit.

110 120 301 120 130 120 200 140 140 The serializermay convert a data signal received in parallel form into a time-ordered data signal in serial form. The pre-emphasis circuitmay emphasize a frequency band (e.g., a predetermined frequency band) of the data signal in serial form received from the serializer. The pre-emphasis circuitmay improve a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), frequency characteristics, and distortion characteristics. The output drivermay transmit the data signal with the emphasized frequency band received from the pre-emphasis circuitto the display sinkover the channel. The phase-locked loop circuitmay be a frequency negative feedback circuit to keep the frequency of the output signal constant or substantially constant at all times. In more detail, the phase-locked loop circuitmay detect a phase difference between the input signal and the output signal, and may output a constant or substantially constant frequency signal by controlling a voltage controlled oscillator.

200 210 220 230 240 250 260 The display sinkmay include an equalizer, a sampler, a clock recovery circuit (CDR), a monitoring unit (e.g., a monitoring circuit), a deserializer, and a control unit (e.g., a controller).

210 210 210 220 210 230 210 240 210 230 240 240 260 250 260 240 260 211 The equalizermay evenly adjust the frequency characteristics of the received data signal to a desired range. As an example, the equalizermay apply different gains depending on the frequencies to reduce the magnitude of low-frequency components relative to high-frequency components. The equalizermay operate similarly to a high-pass filter that passes signal components in the high-frequency range, and applies a low gain to signal components in the low-frequency range. The samplermay sample the data signal received from the equalizeras many times as necessary. The clock recovery circuitmay generate a normal clock signal using the data signal received from the equalizer. The monitoring unitreceives the data signal received from the equalizer, and receives a plurality of clock signals from the clock recovery circuit. The plurality of clock signals may include a normal clock signal. The monitoring unitmay measure at least one of a phase, an amplitude, a rising time, or a falling time of the received data signal. The monitoring unitmay detect a symbol error in the data signal, and may deliver a signal corresponding to the detection result to the control unit. The deserializermay convert the received data signal in serial form into a signal in parallel form. The control unitgenerates a feedback signal based on the information measured by the monitoring unit. In more detail, the control unitmay transmit a gain control signal to the equalizerfor adjusting the gain to be applied to a particular frequency band of the data signal when a symbol error occurs.

210 260 210 100 200 In more detail, the equalizermay change the gain applied to a particular band (e.g., a low frequency band or a high frequency band) of a received data signal based on the feedback signal received from the control unit. In an embodiment, the feedback signal may include information indicating whether a symbol error occurs or not. Accordingly, the equalizermay compensate for a signal distortion that may occur as the data signal is transmitted from the display sourceto the display sinkover the channel (e.g., a distortion of high frequency components or low frequency components).

200 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display sinkmay determine a gain used for equalizing the received data based on a temperature. Accordingly, detection errors in data signals transmitted under different temperature conditions may be reduced.

3 FIG. 2 FIG. 260 is a block diagram illustrating the control unitofaccording to an embodiment.

3 FIG. 260 200 261 262 263 Referring to, the control unitincluded in the display sink(e.g., the receiving device) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a gain determiner, a temperature sensor, and a lookup table (LUT) storage.

261 262 263 261 261 210 210 261 The gain determinermay receive temperature information Tinf from the temperature sensor, and may receive a gain lookup table GLUT from the lookup table storage. A gain value according to each temperature value may be specified in the gain lookup table GLUT. The gain determinermay determine a gain value corresponding to the temperature information Tinf with reference to the lookup table GLUT. The gain determinermay generate a gain control signal CTRL_G corresponding to the determined gain value. The generated gain control signal CTRL_G may be transmitted to the equalizer. In response to the received gain control signal CTRL_G, the equalizermay apply the gain value determined by the gain determinerto the received data signal.

262 200 262 261 The temperature sensormay sense the temperature of the display sink, and may generate the temperature information Tinf corresponding to the sensed temperature. The generated temperature information Tinf may be transmitted from the temperature sensorto the gain determiner.

263 The lookup table storagemay store the gain lookup table GLUT that includes the gain value corresponding to each temperature range. As an example, the gain lookup table GLUT may be a table as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Temperature Gain (T) range value T < 0° C. G1 0° C. ≤ T < 10° C. G2 10° C. ≤ T < 20° C. G3 20° C. ≤ T < 30° C. G4 30° C. ≤ T < 40° C. G5 T ≥ 40° C. G6

261 210 261 210 For example, referring to Table 1, when the temperature indicated by the temperature information Tinf is 18° C., the gain determinermay generate the gain control signal CTRL_G for controlling a value of G3 to be set as the gain, and may transmit the generated gain control signal CTRL_G to the equalizer. As another example, when temperature indicated by the temperature information Tinf is 25° C., the gain determinermay generate the gain control signal CTRL_G for controlling a value of G4 to be set to the gain, and may transmit the generated gain control signal CTRL_G to the equalizer.

In an embodiment, the gain values determined as shown in Table may be applied in common to the lanes Lane0 to Lane3. However, in some embodiments, the gain values determined based on Table 1 may be applied to lanes that are observed to be significantly affected by the temperature, while a default gain value that is set regardless of the temperature may be applied to the other lanes.

On the other hand, unlike that illustrated in Table 1, different gain values may be applied to the respective lanes depending on the temperature. The gain lookup table GLUT may be a table as shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Temperature Lane 0 Lane 1 Lane 2 Lane 3 (T) range gain value gain value gain value gain value T < 0° C. G1A G1B G1C G1D 0° C. ≤ T < 10° C. G2A G2B G2C G2D 10° C. ≤ T < 20° C. G3A G3B G3C G3D 20° C. ≤ T < 30° C. G4A G4B G4C G4D 30° C. ≤ T < 40° C. G5A G5B G5C G5D T ≥ 40° C. G6A G6B G6C G6D

261 210 261 210 For example, referring to Table 2, when the temperature indicated by the temperature information Tinf is 18° C., the gain determinermay generate the gain control signal CTRL_G for controlling the values of G3A, G3B, G3C, and G3D to be applied as the gains to the lanes Lane0, Lane1, Lane2, and Lane3, respectively, and may transmit the generated gain control signal CTRL_G to the equalizer. As another example, when the temperature information Tinf indicates a temperature of 25° C., the gain determinermay generate the gain control signal CTRL_G for controlling the values of G4A, G4B, G4C, and G4D to be applied as the gains to the lanes Lane0, Lane1, Lane2, and Lane3, respectively, and may transmit the generated gain control signal CTRL_G to the equalizer.

263 261 Referring to Table 1 and Table 2, the same gain value may be applied for different temperatures in a desired temperature range (e.g., a predetermined temperature range). For example, referring to Table 1, the same gain value is applied when the temperature indicated by the temperature information Tinf is 12° C., 15° C., or 19° C. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the gain lookup table GLUT stored in the lookup table storagemay include gain values for a plurality of reference temperatures, and the gain determinermay calculate a gain value by interpolation on the temperature between the reference temperatures. For example, the gain lookup table GLUT may be a table as shown in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Reference Gain temperature value −30° C. GA −15° C. GB 0° C. GC 15° C. GD 30° C. GE 45° C. GF

261 261 18° C. In an embodiment, the gain determinermay calculate a gain value corresponding to a particular temperature through linear interpolation. For example, referring to Table 3, when the temperature information Tinf indicates a temperature of 18° C., the gain determination componentmay calculate a gain value Gbased on Equation 1.

261 However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the gain determinermay utilize various other suitable methods of interpolation other than the linear interpolation, so as to determine the gain value.

On the other hand, unlike that illustrated in Table 3, different gain values may be applied to the respective lanes depending on the temperature. The gain lookup table GLUT may be a table as shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Reference Lane 0 Lane 1 Lane 2 Lane 3 temperature gain value gain value gain value gain value −30° C. GA0 GA1 GA2 GA3 −15° C. GB0 GB1 GB2 GB3 0° C. GC0 GC1 GC2 GC3 15° C. GD0 GD1 GD2 GD3 30° C. GEO GE1 GE2 GE3 45° C. GF0 GF1 GF2 GF3

261 Similar to that described above with reference to Table 3 and Equation 1, the gain determinermay calculate a gain value for each lane corresponding to a particular temperature by a linear interpolation.

3 FIG. 262 260 262 200 260 In, the temperature sensoris illustrated as a component included in the control unit. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the temperature sensormay be provided in the display sinkindependently of the control unit.

Therefore, the receiving device (e.g., the display sink) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may determine a gain value applied to the equalizer based on the temperature information. Accordingly, detection errors in data signals transmitted under various temperature conditions may be reduced.

2 3 FIGS.and 200 100 In the embodiment illustrated in, the temperature information Tinf may be generated by a temperature sensor on the display sink. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the temperature information may also be generated by a temperature sensor on the display source.

4 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 4 FIG. is a block diagram illustrating an example of the display source and the display sink as shown in. Unlike in, the auxiliary channel (AUX channel) is shown in.

4 FIG. 4 FIG. 2 FIG. 100 110 120 130 140 150 110 120 130 140 110 120 130 140 Referring to, a display source′ may include the serializer, the pre-emphasis circuit, the output driver, the phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit, and the temperature sensor. The serializer, the pre-emphasis circuit, the output driver, and the phase-locked loop circuitshown inmay be the same or substantially the same components as those of the serializer, the pre-emphasis circuit, the output driver, and the phase-locked loop circuitdescribed above with reference to, respectively. Accordingly, redundant description thereof may not be repeated.

150 100 200 The temperature sensorincluded in the display source′ may generate the temperature information Tinf, and may transfer the generated temperature information Tinf to a display sink′ via the auxiliary channel AUX channel. As described above, the auxiliary channel AUX channel may be provided separately from the channel (e.g., the lanes Lane0 to Lane3) for transmitting the data signal.

200 210 220 230 240 250 260 210 220 230 240 250 210 220 230 240 250 4 FIG. 2 FIG. The display sink′ may include the equalizer, the sampler, the clock recovery circuit (CDR), the monitoring unit, the deserializer, and a control unit′. The equalizer, the sampler, the clock recovery circuit, the monitoring unit, and the deserializershown inmay be the same or substantially the same components as those of the equalizer, the sampler, the clock recovery circuit, the monitoring unit, and the deserializerdescribed above with reference to. Accordingly, redundant description thereof may not be repeated.

260 150 100 260 4 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 FIG. The control unit′ ofmay receive the temperature information Tinf from the temperature sensorof the display source′ via the auxiliary channel AUX channel. The control unit′ ofwill be described in more detail below with reference to.

5 FIG. 4 FIG. 260 is a block diagram illustrating the control unit′ ofaccording to an embodiment.

5 FIG. 260 200 264 265 Referring to, the control unit′ included in the display sink′ (e.g., the receiving device) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a gain determiner, and a lookup table (LUT) storage.

264 150 100 265 264 264 210 210 264 264 261 5 FIG. 3 FIG. The gain determinermay receive the temperature information Tinf from the temperature sensorof the display source, and may receive the gain lookup table GLUT from the lookup table storage. A gain value corresponding to each temperature range is specified in the gain lookup table GLUT. The gain determinermay determine a gain value corresponding to the temperature information Tinf with reference to the gain lookup table GLUT. The gain determinermay generate the gain control signal CTRL_G corresponding to the determined gain value. The generated gain control signal CTRL_G may be transmitted to the equalizer. In response to the received gain control signal CTRL_G, the equalizermay apply the gain value determined by the gain determinerto the received data signal. The operations of the gain determinershown inmay be the same or substantially the same as those of the gain determinerdescribed above with reference to.

As such, the receiving device (e.g., the display sink) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may determine a gain value applied to the equalizer based on the temperature information received from the display source. Accordingly, detection errors of data signals transmitted under various temperature conditions may be reduced.

2 3 FIGS.and 4 5 FIGS.and 200 100 100 200 260 100 200 According to the embodiments described above with reference to, the temperature information Tinf may be generated by the temperature sensor on the display sink. According to the embodiments described above with reference to, the temperature information Tinf may be generated by the temperature sensor on the display source. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The temperature information may also be generated by a temperature sensor on the display sourceand a temperature sensor on the display sink. The control unit′ may determine a gain value by utilizing both first temperature information generated by the temperature sensor on the display sourceand second temperature information generated by the temperature sensor on the display sink. The lookup table storage included in the control unit may include gain values for various combinations of a temperature range corresponding to the first temperature information and a temperature range corresponding to the second temperature information.

6 FIG. is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 FIG. 110 120 130 140 150 160 Referring to, a method of operating a receiving device (e.g., a display sink) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may start, and a channel status may be monitored (S). A determination of whether or not a symbol error has occurred in a received data signal may be made (S). A gain of an equalizer based on temperature information may be changed (S), and link training may be performed (S). Whether or not a symbol error has occurred may be re-determined (S), and the gain of the equalizer may be changed (S).

110 240 240 200 200 110 2 FIG. 4 FIG. In more detail, at S, the monitoring unitoformay monitor a channel status. In other words, the monitoring unitmay monitor whether or not a symbol error has occurred as a result of processing a data signal received by the display sink,′ over the channel at S.

120 When no symbol error has occurred (e.g., NO at S), a gain change operation may end without being performed, and a general operation of receiving a data signal may be performed.

120 200 200 210 130 260 260 200 200 210 130 7 FIG. When a symbol error has occurred (e.g., YES at S), the display sink,′ may change the gain of the equalizerbased on the temperature information Tinf at S. In more detail, the control unit,′ of the display sink,′ may generate the gain control signal CTRL_G to change the gain of the equalizerbased on the temperature information Tinf. An embodiment of the process of Swill be described in more detail below with reference to.

130 200 200 140 100 100 200 200 200 200 After S, the display sink,′ may perform a link training operation at S. The link training operation may be performed in conjunction with the display source. In more detail, during the link training operation, the display source,′ may transfer a test pattern to the display sink,′, and may verify whether or not the test pattern is received well by the display sink,′.

140 200 200 150 150 After performing the link training operation at S, the display sink,′ determines whether or not a symbol error has occurred from the test pattern at S. When the symbol error has not occurred (e.g., NO at S), a gain change operation may end without being performed, and a general operation of receiving a data signal may be performed.

150 200 200 160 130 160 160 140 150 140 150 160 150 6 FIG. When a symbol error has occurred (e.g., YES at S), the display sink,′ may change the gain of the equalizer at S. At S, the gain of the equalizer is changed based on the temperature information, whereas at S, the gain of the equalizer may be changed in the same or substantially the same manner as that of a comparative link setting method, irrespective of the temperature information. After performing S, the link training operation is performed again at S, and whether or not a symbol error has occurred is determined at S. The processes S, S, and Smay be repeated until no symbol errors occur (e.g., NO at S), such that the method ofmay end.

6 FIG. 120 110 130 150 160 As shown in, according to the method of operating the receiving device (e.g., the display sink) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a symbol error occurs at Safter monitoring the channel status at S, a first equalizer gain change operation at Smay be performed based on the temperature information. Symbol errors may occur when a data signal is distorted depending on the temperature of a transmission line forming the channel. Therefore, when a symbol error occurs during data transmission, the temperature change may be considered as one of the causes. An efficient gain change operation may be performed by performing the first equalizer gain change based on the temperature information. However, when a symbol error occurs again even after the gain of the equalizer is changed based on the temperature information (e.g., YES at S), the gain of the equalizer may be changed by another general method that is not based on the temperature information at S.

6 FIG. 130 120 120 110 shows an embodiment in which the gain of the equalizer is changed based on the temperature information at Swhen a symbol error occurs at S(e.g., YES at S) as a result of monitoring the channel status at S. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A gain applied to the equalizer may be initially set based on temperature information immediately after the receiving device (e.g., the display sink) is turned on, or immediately after the receiving device is connected to the transmitting device. The initial gain after the receiving device and the transmitting device are connected to each other via the channel may be set by (e.g., may be determined based on) the temperature information.

7 FIG. 6 FIG. 130 is a flowchart illustrating the process Sof the method ofaccording to an embodiment.

7 FIG. 6 FIG. 7 FIG. 130 210 230 210 230 261 264 230 230 200 Referring to, the process Sofmay include receiving temperature information (S), and determining a gain value corresponding to the received temperature information with reference to the lookup table (S). The processes Sand Sofmay be performed substantially by the gain determiner,of the control unit,′ included in the display sink.

210 261 264 261 262 200 264 262 100 At S, the gain determiner,may receive the temperature information Tinf. In an embodiment, the gain determinermay receive the temperature information Tinf from the temperature sensorincluded on the display sink. In another embodiment, the gain determinermay receive the temperature information Tinf through the AUX channel from the temperature sensorincluded on the display source.

230 261 264 261 264 230 3 FIG. Subsequently, at S, the gain determiner,may determine a gain value corresponding to the received temperature information Tinf with reference to the gain lookup table GLUT. The gain determiner,may determine a gain value corresponding to the received temperature information Tinf in the same or substantially the same manner as that described above with reference to. After performing the process S, the display sink may apply the determined gain value to the equalizer.

8 FIG. 1 FIG. 9 FIG. 8 FIG. 10 FIG. 8 FIG. 1000 200 1000 1000 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic deviceincluding the display sinkofaccording to an embodiment.is a perspective view of an example of a smartphone implemented as the electronic deviceof.is a perspective view of an example of a tablet computer implemented as the electronic deviceof.

8 FIG. 1000 1010 1020 1030 1040 1050 1060 Referring to, the electronic devicemay include a processor, a memory device, a storage device, an input/output (I/O) device, a power supply, and a display device.

9 FIG. 10 FIG. 1000 1000 1000 1000 In some embodiments, as illustrated in, the electronic devicemay be a smartphone. In other embodiments, as illustrated in, the electronic devicemay be a tablet computer. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the electronic deviceis not necessarily limited to the aforementioned examples. For example, the electronic devicemay be a computer device or an electronic device including the display device, such as a Digital Television (TV), a 3D TV, a Personal Computer (PC), home electronic devices, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a video phone, a smart pad, a smart watch, a head-mounted display device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a digital camera, a music player, a portable game console, or a navigation device.

1010 1010 1010 1010 1060 1060 The processormay perform various suitable calculations or tasks. In some embodiments, the processormay include an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a microprocessor, or a central processing unit (CPU). The processormay be connected to the other components through a bus system. In some embodiments, the bus system may include a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus. In an embodiment, the processormay provide the display devicewith data streams to be displayed on the display device.

1020 1000 1010 1020 The memory devicemay function as a working memory and/or a buffer memory for the electronic deviceand/or the processor. In some embodiments, the memory devicemay include volatile memory devices, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, a static random access memory (SRAM) device, a mobile DRAM device, and the like.

1030 1010 1030 1000 1030 The storage devicemay store data in response to a control of the processor. The storage devicemay include a non-volatile storage device to retain the data even when the electronic deviceis powered off. In some embodiments, the storage devicemay include a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), a CD-ROM, or the like.

1040 1040 1000 1040 1000 1040 1 FIG. 1 FIG. The I/O devicemay include various suitable input devices, such as a keyboard, a keypad, a touchpad, a touch screen, and a mouse, and various suitable output devices, such as a speaker and a printer. The I/O devicemay include a display port for transmitting or receiving an image signal. As an example, when the electronic devicetransmits an image signal, the I/O devicemay function as the display source as shown in. As another example, when the electronic devicereceives an image signal, the I/O devicemay function as the display sink as shown in.

1050 1000 1050 1050 The power supplymay supply power used to perform the operations of the electronic device. For example, the power supplymay include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). For example, the power supplymay include a battery.

1060 1010 1060 1060 1060 1060 1040 The display devicemay display images in response to a control of the processor. The display devicemay be connected to the other components through a bus system or other suitable communication links. The display devicemay include a plurality of pixels. The display devicemay display an image as the respective pixels emit light having different gradations. For example, the display devicedisplays an image on the pixels based on image data received from the I/O device.

The electronic or electric devices and/or any other relevant devices or components according to embodiments of the present disclosure described herein (e.g., the serializer, the pre-emphasis circuit, the output driver, the phase-locked loop circuit, the equalizer, the sampler, the monitoring unit, the deserializer, the control unit, the clock recovery circuit, the gain determiner, and the like) may be implemented utilizing any suitable hardware, firmware (e.g. an application-specific integrated circuit), software, or a combination of software, firmware, and hardware. For example, the various components of these devices may be formed on one integrated circuit (IC) chip or on separate IC chips. Further, the various components of these devices may be implemented on a flexible printed circuit film, a tape carrier package (TCP), a printed circuit board (PCB), or formed on one substrate. Further, the various components of these devices may be a process or thread, running on one or more processors, in one or more computing devices, executing computer program instructions and interacting with other system components for performing the various functionalities described herein. The computer program instructions are stored in a memory which may be implemented in a computing device using a standard memory device, such as, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The computer program instructions may also be stored in other non-transitory computer readable media such as, for example, a CD-ROM, flash drive, or the like. Also, a person of skill in the art should recognize that the functionality of various computing devices may be combined or integrated into a single computing device, or the functionality of a particular computing device may be distributed across one or more other computing devices without departing from the spirit and scope of the example embodiments of the present disclosure.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in a receiving device, an electronic device including the receiving device, and a system including the receiving device, a gain value of an equalizer may be optimally set (e.g., may be determined) according to temperature variations.

However, the aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and various other aspects and features will be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

The foregoing is illustrative of some embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although some embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications are possible in the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It will be understood that descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other embodiments, unless otherwise described. Thus, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, features, characteristics, and/or elements described in connection with a particular embodiment may be used singly or in combination with features, characteristics, and/or elements described in connection with other embodiments unless otherwise specifically indicated. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of various example embodiments and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other example embodiments, are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims, and their equivalents.